alternate tunings

[qbertsoul]

what, if any, alternate tunings do you use on guitar? please state the tuning and, more importantly, what advantages the tuning has over standard tuning.

the only tuning i use is raising the b to a c. it gives a very pretty open sound. if you like to hit the high strings open this will sound much prettier in a major key. but it just sounds nice in general if you like to hit the open strings.

[Welladjusted]

drop-d. DADGBE. because i suck at standard tuned power chords

[Joe D. Stortion]

I don't really use true alternate tunings, I tune lower and/or use a drop tuning for added range here and there, but that's about it. These are the variants I use.

Standard, Drop D, 1/2 Step down, Drop Db (half step below Drop D, what lots of modern bands are using,) and with my 7-string, I do Drop A (AEADGBE--obviously.)

-Joe

[skyneverclaimed]

I use so many different alternate tunings.. but they're all mine! mwahahahahahaha

[ClemencyThis!Ry]

I love Drop-D tuning (D a d g b e) for many reasons.

I know you can play simple power chords with one finger, but if you play around with it, you can add some pretty nice intonations to regular chord shapes. A great example of this is the chord shapes Dave Grohl utalizes in Everlong. That chord shape killer, and it brings a fresh new sound compared to average power chords.

When playing in the key of D, you can use the low D as a pedal tone to play under a melody line.

Now this one i haven't seen many people utalize, but I like to use a slide with dropped-D, since your Bottom 3 strings are Root-5th-root, you've got a moveable Powerchord that's great for sliding up and down the neck.

[cin]

I use a few different tunings:

dadgad (pretty standard tuning, it's actually an oud tuning, but guitarists adopted it)
dadf#ad (open d, pretty self explanatory. the use of open strings makes playing irish fiddle sounding stuff or g harmonic minor stuff really easy)
f#bdf#bd (This is the tuning jeff martin used on "heaven coming down". I tried it, makes playing in d or b minor pretty easy, but I don't use it that often)
cfcfgc (I accidentally tuned to this a couple of weeks ago, makes going from a f mode to a c mode in c harmonic minor really easy)
cfa#d#gc (standard down two steps)
drop d
bedgbe (cheers mr jones)
dgdgbe (good for slide, nicked off dave gilmour actually).

I usually tune my 12 string to a certain tuning, play it for a couple of weeks, then change the tuning. Unfortunately I have only one usable electric so I can't play with a lot of these tunings live, but I'm getting a new geet soon so I can alternate guitars during shows.

[The User]

Drop-D
DADADD
EADGBC
1/2 step down

also, i am fond of tuning guitars randomly-just twisting the pegs- and tryingh to come up with something cool.

But most often, I use: EADGBE

[ben murphy]

many in one band, none in another.

i'm trying to cut back on the tunings in the former. just trying to make life more simple.

[qbertsoul]

does anybody use sonic youth style tunings? i've never understood the reasoning behind theirs. does anybody know?

[jacobhimself]

everyone who said drop d should be shot.

[skip tracer]

Originally posted by qbertsoul
does anybody use sonic youth style tunings? i've never understood the reasoning behind theirs. does anybody know?

I use three tunings inspired by theirs, but aren't actually used by them. DAF#F#C# (this guitar is missing the high-e tuning peg), EBEEBE (well I think that one might be) and F#F#AAGG. The pairs tuned in unison sounds really neat.

[qbertsoul]

hey skip, what are the advantages of those sonic youth tunings?

[skip tracer]

Well for one thing, you only need an index finger and a thumb to play. :p Like I said, its mainly the sound of the strings tuned in unison, kind of a natural chorus effect. Also good for droning numbers. Alternate tunings, in general, open up a whole new way of looking at the fretboard.

[nobody]

I use Open G (DBDGBD) quite a bit. It's a Hank Williams tuning that I use to get pseudo-pedal steel sounds.

On my 12 string, I'll use this tuning but then tune the octave strings a 5th higher to get a huge ass sound. And when combined with a heavy dose of delay and reverb it sounds like a string pad.

[Wir-Click-Wir]

I use open tunings on acoustics for folk, and sometimes I'll tune my electric guitar down to Eb or D. Oh yeah, and Drop D tuning for certain songs, of course.

[jacobhimself]

Originally posted by gururyan
I don't know if I'd go that far, but if some jackass asked to play my guitar and drop'd d.......I'd slap him like a bitch.

The only alt. I ever really use, I don't even know the name of. How sad is that? My mother-in-law showed me this gypsy song she used to play (now I play it) but in order to do so you have to tune it like a banjo +1 or something like that. I can't explain, and I have a hard time doing the tuning. Once I do, I usually stay in it for awhile since it's such a pain in the ass to do.

And about my first comment, I used to get so pissed off when somebody would pick up my acoustic and the first thing they would do was drop the d. C'mon man, screw that! Put my guitar down you SOB until you learn to play something with more than one finger. Like I want to hear what you learned on MTV.

sweet man. my thoughts exactly. if you need a low d, tune your whole ****in guitar down a step and play it like a not beginnner. if it were up to me, everyone would play in standard tuning, like guitar should be played.

[themadnote]

Originally posted by Wir-Click-Wir
I use open tunings on acoustics for folk, and sometimes I'll tune my electric guitar down to Eb or D. Oh yeah, and Drop D tuning for certain songs, of course. totally off topic for a second, but i love your signature. i just recently read that book.

as for tunings, i **** around with open d and g when im bored, but i usually just tune down half or 2 steps.

[The User]

Hey! Wait!
I use drop D...not much, but i do use it.
I rarely (if ever) play one-fingered power chords in dropped D (other than the Tool/Soundgarden 5th chord- and that uses all 6 strings). Usually I use the open D as a pedaltone and harmonise it with what is becoming almost my 'signature ' of late, which is 12th, 13th and other similar intervals. I also use it for drones and other 'noise'- making the strings vibrate by molesting the trem and...well...other stuff.

[Wir-Click-Wir]

Originally posted by themadnote
totally off topic for a second, but i love your signature. i just recently read that book.

Thanks. Animal Farm is definitely in my top ten. Have you read any other Orwell stuff?

[themadnote]

i've read 1984 which was really interesting. also i have a copy of "the road to wigam pier" but i havn't really gotten around to reading it.

[skip tracer]

Just listen to Hum, and you will realise that not all drop-D players are brainless, talentless oafs who don't have the motor skills to use more than one finger at a time. There are a lot of neat chords you just can't do in standard. Well you can, but in different positions.

e|-5
B|-5
G|-7
D|-7
A|-5
D|-5

e|-5
B|-6
G|-7
D|-5
A|-5
D|-5

e|-7
B|-7
G|-7
D|-5
A|-5
D|-5

[clifford]

adam jones does great things with drop d. i use it too, but i always use more than one finger in songs that i right.. try to any way. if you play a shape like:
d--1
a--1
d--3

or

d--1
a--1
d--1
g--3--(or the full 5th shape like the user said)

those are a stretch in standard, and i really like the sound of those two shapes, so i drop d.

[Welladjusted]

stephen carpenter of the deftones uses drop-d tuning nad seldom plays standard power chords. suspended chords are way easier in drop-d for those of us with small hands

[jacobhimself]

your all lazy.......

lol just jokin, i still hate drop d tho..

[skip tracer]

Yeah, lazy. I never, ever play an Em or A because they are too easy! :rolleyes:

[Wir-Click-Wir]

Big Brother is watching you!

Radiohead better credit 1984 for the title of their song "2+2=5" on Hail To The Thief.

[Lenin]

DADGBD- can get some cool chords out of this, but most turn out minor sounding.


a cool thing to do in alternate tunings is try to play standard shape chords, you get these bizarre chords instead

[VillageIdiot]

Originally posted by clifford

d--1
a--1
d--3


That's like D#9 isn't it?

Its a total Deftones chord... and it sounds wicked.

[BlueOrb]

i use EADGBD alot
and DADGBE
and Db ADGBE
an EADGBEb

[Pinshlo]

Having a couple of guitars I tune them all different.


E A D G B e

Eb Ab Db Gb Bb eb ( ebee abee doobi do dum)

D G C F A d or

C F Bb Eb G c


Just standard stuff actually....

[Jasoncap]

Drop D and standard are the practical guitar tunings you can have if you only use one guitar. Don't get stuck in a drop tunings rut though. If you're a writer you'll end up with pretty samey stuff and you just can't play a big full G chord (sacrilege!)

[Deke]

90% of my time is spent on standard tuning (EADGBE) while the other 10% is spend on drop D (DADGBE)

i've grown up on standard tuning since the beginning and i'll stick with it for the long run. it's just alot more practical these days when it comes to the majority of the stuff out there. drop D is good occasionally for those heavy rock stuff that i find, though i don't know a whole lot of drop D songs these days .

[salari]

I love open G, it's just perfect for playing slide:

DGDGBD

[lp_man]

Drop d
DADGBD is quite fun
I also use a but of downtuning for metal and QOTSA down to C etc. Nothing thats considered out of the ordanary really for rock/metal.

[jacksonjs30]

Originally posted by Wir-Click-Wir
Big Brother is watching you!

Radiohead better credit 1984 for the title of their song "2+2=5" on Hail To The Thief.

1984 was a crazy book

also on topic

i have floyd but i'd much rather use drop D on some songs because i use those chords like

7
5
3

im getting better at them but drop d would make it like a reg octave with a finger laying down

and im always half step down i think people should all adopt it
for me it makes my power chords a little beefier my chorus a little fuller
i can sing over it easier
and bends low on the neck are easier

[zinctobaccoindi]

I usually stick to standard, but I've accidently "invented" a couple tunings. I can't remember how it went, but one time I was trying to tune to open A and for some reason the G and B strings ended up the same, and it gave that chorus-y effect (as was mentioned earlier) which was really nice. I'm also a big fan of tuning the E string waaaaay down so it drones and rattles around (Neil Young does this in "Bandit").

[Sobot]

My band does a lot of Tool covers, actually, it's 90% Tool covers. I have my main guitar intonated for drop D, and then I use Adam Jones' tunings that he uses for Prison Sex and Parabola:

BADGBE
BEDGBE

and for other stuff, I use my strat which is almost always in standard.... sometimes in half step down.

[FarewellFixGTR]

I use:

D# G# C# F# A# D#

D# G# C# F# B C#

C# G# C# F# A# D#

C# G# C# F# G# C#

C# G# C# F# B C#

B F# B E G# C#

Bb F# B E G# C#

B F# B E A B

Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb

Ab Eb AB Db Gb Bb Eb

Ab Db AB Db Gb Bb

Ab Eb AB Db E Ab

I think thats all of them. Some songs combine 2 similar tunings so that either I or our other guitarist, kyle, can pull off certain things during songs. For instance, if one song has a backround acoustic part, that might be in dadgad, but the rest of the song might be in standard Eb, or Bb

[Aphoniser]

last couple of days i've tried

F# F# C# F# B B

which was fun, but the 2 B strings sound a bit strange, so it got changed to

F# F# C# F# A# A#

which was a little better.

Its strange playing along with someone in standard with that kind of tuning though. fun, but strange.

[olddawg]

The first tuning I learned was open E with a knife handle because the family acoustic was an old Stella that wouldn't tune until I learned how to fix it. Other than standard I use open E (D), open G (A), and D modal. I've never considered drop D a tuning really. We always called it D bass. It's a useful technique but I can't see using it on a lot of songs in a set. Generally I have 3 guitars on stage. Standard, G, and E. The biggest nightmare there is is to sit in with some group and find out the band is tuned a halfstep flat for their vocals. Especially if you are tuned to an open tuning.

[david]

that neurosis drop octave thing is great sounding - totally changes the way i write too.

my faves:

cgcfad
ggcfad

[CompadreAlto]

GGBGBB

[_pheonix_]

i only use dropped D if im playing some Muse or whatever.
I hate it when people use it to make power chords easier....

[lp_man]

Originally posted by _pheonix_
i only use dropped D if im playing some Muse or whatever.
I hate it when people use it to make power chords easier....

I use it for foo fighters stuff usually, pluss you get the lower notes which is good for more of a range. Sometimes I'll adapt a song because the neck of a les paul makes my hands hurt playing powerchords on the low strings sometimes :)

[Living_Dead]

Originally posted by Welladjusted
drop-d. DADGBE. because i suck at standard tuned power chords


+1 (same with me):p

[<3charlie]

Originally posted by jacobhimself
everyone who said drop d should be shot.



exactly.

DROP C

hhahaha i know thats not what he meant.

i dont play it like a bitch though so its all good.

i like the chords i can play with it. not one finger ****job stuff.. i hardly ever use one finger chords.

[manhole]

I often tune to open G for slide work. Sometimes I just fiddle with the tunings from there until I come up with a sound I like. I have no idea what they're called - I don't have perfect pitch and am far too lazy to figure out what I've tuned all six strings to.

Also, I sometimes use drop D, again for those chords in 'Everlong.' I have tiny little hands, and playing those sorts of chords with standard tuning is just flat out impossible for me.

[jhc]

Originally posted by gururyan
I've been in open G on my acoustic alot lately....I'm trying to work on my blues and slide work.

If someone asked to play my guitar, and then tuned it to open G, I'd slap him.

:D :D :D